Serendipity
by Agashi
Summary: Flash saves an ordinary girl and through a random stroke of fate, she accidentally discovers his secret identity. Fascination and trust fuel a strange friendship that slowly becomes something more... FlashOC
1. The Beginning

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the DC Comic book universe or it's characters. I really don't even own the plot, as I'm sure this same kind of story has been written before. (Probably better...) I do, however, own Evey. And even though I doubt anyone would want to steal her for their own purposes, I figure I should still throw that out there...

I WILL CONSIDER THIS A BLANKET DISCLAIMER FOR THE REST OF THIS FANFIC. Because let's face it, we do the disclaimers because the people of this website expect it and it's considered courteous. NOT because it prevents the higher-ups at DC or Marvel from suing our butts. Whether we claim to own them or not, this doesn't change the fact that we're using their characters without their express consent. Now, do they care that we do this? Probably not. We don't profit from it, and we don't keep them from profiting, so yeah... that's my mentality.

This fanfiction started out as a fun little side-project for me, but as I got more and more into it, I began writing less of my other stories to spend time on this one. Thank you and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

* * *

**The Beginning**:

The day had started out normally enough… She entered the coffee shop and took a seat at her usual table near the restrooms. She preferred sitting where there were less people, but not such a significantly lesser amount that the other patrons stared at her.

These were the kinds of games she had taken to playing ever since high school had drawn to a close. Attending an all-girls Catholic school for most of her life hadn't exactly prepared her for life in the real world, and these days, she was growing more and more aware of that every day.

Evelyn took a distracted sip of her chai tea and tried not to remember her sadness when her mother had not shown up in the auditorium the night of graduation. The argument of the day before and subsequent expulsion from the house had forced her to dip into her life's savings, and scramble to pay the deposit on the first ramshackle apartment that would let her move her things in the next day.

She let out a surprised squeal as nearly half of her tea sloshed out of the cup on its way back down to the table. Praying to God it wouldn't stain her new beige blouse, Evelyn tearfully dabbed at the growing brown spot with her napkin.

She sighed. Most likely the stain would blend in with her top once it dried, but her interview was in about fifteen minutes. No time to change even if she could afford something to change into. Her day was only beginning to get worse…

* * *

'You will probably hear from us in a few days, miss. Just give your name to the secretary in the front office, miss. Don't let the door hit you on the way out, miss…' Evelyn tried to convince herself not to be too disappointed.

She had known long before the balding man in his casual suit had even opened his mouth that she wasn't going to get the job. The way his narrowed gaze had lingered on the still-visible stain on her blouse and the threadbare purse she clutched desperately in her hand.

She had known before she'd even decided to go in for the interview. She knew that on paper, her resume was excellent. Her previous employers had no complaints with her work ethic even if she was a bit on the shy side. They were kind. The truth was, her social skills were terrible. She had problems keeping eye contact, especially with men.

Her stomach growled pitifully as she made her way down the crowded streets of the downtown Washington DC area. Never had she felt like such a failure… Suddenly, she bumped into the man in front of her with an undignified grunt.

"Sorry, sir. I should've watched where…" she trailed off upon noticing what the man was staring at.

Beyond a large cluster of skyscrapers, there was a cloud of smoke rising. Thoughts of terrorists and a second September 11th tragedy made her limbs freeze. Suddenly, amid the mass of gray, she saw a great streak of blue on scarlet.

"It's Superman!" Someone yelled standing to her left, and the feeling swiftly flowed back into her arms and legs. Cheering rose up all around her, but she didn't have the heart to join in. The disaster, whatever it was, would soon be sorted out and even though she knew it was a sin to think so selfishly, she allowed herself to sink back into self-pity.

Not for long, however. A large portion of the crowd around her was making its way toward the commotion, and she was being helplessly jostled in the same direction. She wondered later if it was fate.

Her entire life was built around the act of being invisible to her fellow man. Her faith was all the company she needed, and yet, her feet began moving with the crowd seemingly of their own accord.

Nearing the battle was an experience she could never have imagined. It felt as if her veins were shrinking with the effort of controlling her fight or flight reflex, and she was filled with a sense of terrifying excitement. Was this the reason there were always crowds of onlookers when disasters such as this struck? Was this what everyone else felt?

There was flame and fire. There was the shouting of policemen trying to get civilians out of immediate danger. Evelyn did not notice any of that. All she saw was them.

A villain with a wild mane of fiery hair framing a face that was both savage and beautiful. Evelyn silently sent up a prayer, sure at this moment that she must be in the presence of Satan. Flame erupted from the she-devil's outstretched hands and surged at the people who were heedlessly trying to catch glimpses of the others. The Heroes.

There was the Man of Steel of course, leading the charge in all of his crimson and blue-clad glory. His eyes glowed with alien energy briefly and a thin beam of red shot out at the villainess. She hissed angrily as her hands began to bleed and blister, but her heat-resistant skin was already mending. She redoubled her next attack, the crowd finally drawing back so that Evelyn was left in front.

From her new vantage point, she saw Wonder Woman and let out a gasp that no one heard. The Amazon princess was impossibly stunning even in the thick of battle. Her hair flowed black and somehow without tangling as she exchanged blows with a beast that was easily twice her size.

Her brilliant eyes were piercing and proud over regal cheekbones. Women shot silicone into their lips to give them the size and shape that the heroine's had naturally.

The monster that dared strike a blow against such beauty seemed even uglier next to his adversary. Bulging muscles and veins popped out along a body that was almost ape-like. Its head was covered in metallic gray spikes that curved around its thick, corded neck. Suddenly, as she stared, the monster's gaze snapped onto her own.

There was a moment, as fear lanced through her body, that she saw a look of craftiness come over the monster's face, slower than a sunrise. The next moment, seemingly with a rush of adrenaline, the beast charged.

At Evelyn.

Indecision warred within her body. Instinct told her to run, to move her legs and scream as loud as she possibly could, but her eyes were locked onto the monster's and she felt the terrible weight of hopelessness fall on her shoulders.

Then a real weight clenched around her torso. The creature was using her body as a shield and she saw the conflict on Wonder Woman's flawless features. Evelyn closed her eyes against the tidal wave of emotions that crashed into her with the super heroine's one look.

Feelings of being useless and helpless and always in the way. Her eyes popped open. Maybe not completely helpless. The monster did not pin her arm down with the rest of her; probably it did not perceive her as enough of a threat to completely incapacitate her. She thanked the Lord for this small mercy.

Without allowing her mind to wrap too far around the idea, Evelyn waited until the gloating villain was distracted… and swiftly plunged her small finger into its wide, milky eye. The reaction was immediate.

It gave a long howl of agony before it launched her as far away from itself as possible.

Which, considering its strength, was going to be a fatal distance. The wind whipped around her as she flew past the tops of buildings, narrowly avoiding a collision with the side of a skyscraper, and then trees. So her destination would be the park, would it? 'Not such a horrible place to die…' Despite her brave thoughts, her lips were trembling with fear and her eyes were as wide open as they would go.

God had to be tired of hearing from her by now… in fact, this was probably his punishment for indulging in that self-pity earlier.

She soared past a few clearings and realized, with final resignation, that with her continued descent, she would land in the lake. Without warning, a scarlet streak shot past her, and before she could even brace for impact, a small whirlwind kicked up beneath her.

As if it had a life of it's own, the wind gently slowed her down before she felt herself land safely in a pair of outstretched arms. Her shell-shocked gaze met a friendly and amused one.

"Come on, babe. You didn't think the Justice League would let you go 'splat' didja?" He laughed before running back toward the battle. Never had she wanted to kiss someone before... what a bizarre feeling.


	2. The Rescue

**Thank you** so much to Geeky BMWW Fan, my lovely new beta, for all of her kindness, encouragement, and patience in helping me whip this chapter into decent shape. If you have not yet read any of her stories, you're missing out.

For those of you who read author's notes, here's a little (uninteresting) tidbit. I am actually not Catholic, or even Christian. I do not advocate their religion, nor do I have anything particularly against it. I wrote this story because I thought it would be interesting to write from the prospective of a character who is very religious, and Christianity being the most popular religion in the United States, made it the most obvious choice.

I wanted to try (Keyword: try. I'm still not sure it can be done well.) to reconcile this with a world where super-humans walk the planet and have near-godlike abilities themselves.

Catholicism being a (in my personal view) very austere form of Christianity also helps to characterize Evey, who is admittedly, very serious and the polar opposite of Wally West.

* * *

**The Rescue:**

'Why not?' she wondered, finding herself completely unable to look away from her rescuer's face.

His costume was ridiculous, of course. Red polyester couldn't be very practical to run and engage super villains in all day. Assuming that it was even made of polyester. From where her cheek was forced against his chest – a result of their current momentum – it was difficult to be certain.

The gaudy lightning bolts decorating his cowl and belt were a completely unnecessary feature as well, yet the body underneath it all was fascinating… His breathing was probably just as even as hers, if not more so, and there was no visible sweat anywhere. Even his heartbeat was calm and steady, though the speed at which he was running enabled him to dart across the surface of the lake as easily as if he had been on land.

Evelyn barely allowed herself to examine that statement. Already she felt woozy at the thought of even a superhero accomplishing an act of God.

Perhaps she was feeling loopy due to near-death experiences, the heart-stopping exhilaration of flying across water, or maybe it was simple human gratitude.

But most likely it was the dimple in his left cheek that deepened as he smiled warmly down at her, even as he achieved the impossible. Evelyn could not conceive of an angel with a more beautiful smile. Had he really been sent to save such an inconsequential being as herself?

No. Angels were ethereal… untouchable. This man had an angelic appearance, but he was undeniably warm and alive. A person, just like her, albeit one with a few unique abilities.

Reverently, she leaned up -fighting the wind's velocity- and pressed her lips against his.

They were soft and smooth, exactly like an angel's should be. She almost rethought her assessment of his mortality. He gasped, a very human reaction, and she shivered when she realized that his mouth was warm and open under hers.

Unfortunately, the moment was ruined when Flash's feet slowed due to surprise, and he was no longer able to skim the surface of the lake.

"Uh-oh…" With no further warning, they both went under. Flash mentally cursed when he found that his feet had no purchase this deep under water. He felt around on his right and managed to wrap his fingers firmly around the girl's floating wrist. Propelling both himself and her forward, it was only a short time before they broke the surface, panting and expelling water.

The girl, for her part, looked apologetic and extremely embarrassed. These expressions sat comfortably on a pale face that was oval, brown-eyed, and just a little too serious. She was attractive in a schoolgirl kind of way. The wet blouse that stuck to her chest was a bonus.

"Sorry, I don't know what I…" She trailed off, blushing deeply. Mortification stained her cheeks a deep scarlet.

By the time they made it back on dry land, the fight would probably be over, Flash reasoned. Supes and the Princess could handle clean up without him and besides, this girl was too cute to be mad at.

"Don't be…" He offered her his most disarming smile, reserved for picking up beautiful women, but it didn't have much effect with her eyes fixed downward on the water between them. He decided that furthering himself in her good graces by saving her from hypothermia would be a start.

Using his powerful legs he began to kick until they were cruising along as easily as if they'd been in a motorboat. She didn't try to speak again until a few minutes had elapsed.

"You're the Justice League's Flash, aren't you? I'm… uh, Evelyn."

"Evelyn, huh? You don't really look like an Evelyn… then again, the only other Evelyn I know is my grandma. Hmmm. Maybe I could call you Britney. You have that whole hot Catholic school girl thing going on…"

She grimaced. Why would she want to be nicknamed after the girl who single-handedly scandalized the entire Catholic nation? In a rare moment of sensitivity, he seemed to realize he had upset her.

"Okay then. Not Britney…" A friendly grin settled over his features again as he suddenly launched into a story about his grandmother. "—and like Grammy Flash always used to say…"

She knew she still ought to be offended, but the way he said it – the way he said everything – was so frank and good-natured. Instead of getting mad, she felt a shy smile spread across her face.

His infectious grin aside, she wasn't sure if she had it in her to antagonize two super-powered beings in one day. The smile dropped off her face immediately as the gravity of that afternoon's events threatened to crush her.

"Whoa… Are you gonna be okay? Want me to carry you home?" The Flash's concerned face swam back into focus. They were finally out of the water and somehow he was already looking drier than he'd been before rescuing her.

"I'll be fine. What were you saying before?"

"Oh. I asked if you'd mind being called Evey? A pretty girl's gotta have a pretty name, right?.." Before he could even pull off a suave expression, the pretty girl in question promptly passed out in his arms. "Evey!"

He decided it was a delayed reaction from her close encounter with death. No use freaking out. His brow crinkled as he pondered what to do with her. It would probably be a good idea to have her taken care of somewhere…

Bringing her back to the Watchtower was absurd of course; the journey through space might even worsen her condition. His own apartment in Central City was also out of the question. Not only was it far too personal, but he also couldn't go there in full costume for fear of leading any unsavory elements of his double life to it.

The hospital would take her, of course, and he had no qualms footing a medical bill if there was one, but there was also the possibility that she might not appreciate being indebted to a total stranger. Especially one with a secret identity.

Gently, he pressed two gloved fingers against her throat, feeling for a pulse. It felt normal enough, and her breathing was even. He hesitated before withdrawing his hand, satisfied that besides being in an obvious state of exhaustion, there didn't seem to be anything else wrong with her.

That left only one option. An appealing one, at that. Quickly, he sprinted to the nearest telephone booth and began leafing through the phone book. Fortunately for him, he was probably the single greatest speed-reader on earth. Soon he had compiled a list of all the Evelyns in this part of the city. There were twenty-four.

He adjusted his arms so she was more comfortable nestled in them. No harm in going the extra mile, so to speak, for a pretty girl who might be extremely grateful when she woke up. Grinning, he had a feeling this was going to be a very interesting night…


	3. The Identity

I am a truly shameless individual to post another chapter after such a long time, but better late than never, neh? Enjoy?

* * *

**The Identity****:**

It was dark by the time Flash climbed the stairs to a dingy, second-story apartment in downtown D.C. The girl, Evelyn, lay sound asleep in his arms.

"For the love of Barry Allen, please let this be the one…" he prayed. It wasn't that he was tired of hauling her from house to house. On the contrary, she was remarkably light, and while he didn't have the Man of Steel's alien strength, his physical endurance was still greater than an average man's.

No, his main concern lay in the fact that the night was getting cooler and the girl's clothes were still dripping lake water. He held her close to his body, warming her as well as he could before arriving at the top of the landing.

It wasn't until he was actually facing the peeling paint of her door that it occurred to him he had no way of getting inside.

"Good job, Flash. Save the girl, and then get stuck hanging around outside her apartment until she freezes to death…" Feeling extremely un-heroic, he began searching her pockets for keys, hoping against hope that they were not sitting at the bottom of the lake somewhere. '_None in front_…'

Evey mumbled and shifted, arranging her head more comfortably on his broad chest. Flash held his breath, terrified she would awaken and accuse him of molesting her. Not only would that be awkward and embarrassing, the press would have a field day. He would never hear the end of it from the rest of the League. To his relief, she remained curled up and did not stir again. He permitted himself a small grin.

Her face was smooth and untroubled as she slept; almost childlike in the dim light filtering in through a dirty window. She looked like the kind of girl who sold lemonade to neighbors on a hot summer day. '_Lemonade sounds really good right now,_' he thought, a bit parched from running all afternoon without recharging as he normally did.

He shook his head. The smile dropped off his face as he suddenly reminded himself of what he was supposed to be doing. He swallowed nervously.

Doing his best to ignore the distinctly male part of his psyche that was enjoying this, he mentally squared his shoulders.

Supporting her on his chest and left arm, Wally gently reached into the back pocket of the girl's wet dress slacks. He tried not to notice the way his fingers had to curve before they brushed something cold and metallic.

Clumsy in desperation, Flash was shocked that Evey continued to breathe evenly, her sleep completely undisturbed. He expelled a sigh of relief, careful to turn his head away from her ear as he did so.

He opened the door, feeling along the wall for a light switch. Evey squinted slightly when the solitary bulb overhead flickered to life, but otherwise remained unconscious.

Amused by his companion's continued lack of response, Flash reached for the handle on his immediate left and entered a tiny, but clean bedroom. He settled her down on the small bed, tucking a faded yellow bedcover around her. As he shifted the blankets, he was surprised to find the space already occupied.

"Hey there…" Wally whispered.

A cat with cool grey eyes was crouched near his arm, ready to pounce if he caused her mistress any harm. He moved with deliberate slowness, which was not slow at all considering it went against his basic nature.

She waited until he had backed safely away from Evey before launching herself at his face, spitting madly.

"**AAAARGH**!"

Evey jolted awake to the sound of Flash yelling and trying to defend himself. Momentarily disconcerted, she screamed as loud as she could, seeing only a prowler in her home.

"EEEEEEEEK!"

The strange man just kept yelling and flailing his arms. She couldn't tell if he was missing the animal on purpose or if he was really trying to scrape it off his face.

The cat itself yowled and hissed, still clawing at every inch of the intruder it could reach. Evey continued screaming, not knowing what else to do. Nothing like this had ever happened to her before.

One hand clutched the bedding, the other groped for the heaviest object within reach – a lamp – and she mentally prepared herself to bring it down on the man's head as hard as she could and make a run for it. Ceres could likely take care of herself better than Evey could so she did not pause to worry about her feline friend.-

"Wait! It's – OW! – Flash! FLASH! Remember? The guy – ouch! – that saved you?"

His voice brought her back to the present and she quickly peeled her pet off the superhero, inwardly grateful that this was the Flash and not, for instance, Batman.

She gasped.

The Flash's cowl was in shreds. The face underneath had several long, thin scratches in it, courtesy of the frantic animal, but did not appear to be badly injured.

More importantly it was not unrecognizable. His eyes were bright green over a decisive nose and an attractively-cut square jaw. She found herself staring like an idiot at the boyish freckles dusting over his cheeks and thinking wildly, 'This is the man who runs around fighting demons and other hell spawn? He can't be older than me… Maybe he _is_ an angel after all.'

Flash raised his hand to where his mask should have been and ran it over the unprotected skin of his face. The knowledge that his identity was no longer secret hit him with force of a speeding train. His eyes widened in horror.

Wally stared in mute denial at the girl, whose face was at least as shocked as his.

For her part, Evey felt as if the world outside of her tiny apartment had stopped moving entirely. She could hear nothing over the pounding of her own pulse in her ears.

Suddenly, a much louder, insistent pounding came from the direction of her front door, causing them both to jump.

"EVELYN! Miz Evelyn? You all right in there, darlin'? If you don't answer me in five seconds I'm callin' the police!"

Evey and the Flash locked gazes, both panicking. Their alarm came to a head when they each realized that the other would not be taking control of the situation. Frantically, Evey put a finger to her lips to indicate silence, though Wally did not actually need the warning.

His entire frenzied mind was busy trying to think of a way to get out of the apartment without being seen. There was a drop of at least twenty feet to the street outside her living room window. Getting there before she answered the front door would not be a problem; jumping without injuring himself or some poor passersby in the dark might be. All too soon, he realized he had no more time to think…

Evey had nearly tripped over her own feet in her haste to get to the door.

"I'm right here Mr. Burns! Everything's fine! I'm – nothing's wrong!" she babbled, pulling the front door open to confront her grey-haired landlord.

"I thought I heard some screamin' up here," he looked past her, suspiciously. Evey fought to keep calm, knowing that even in the gloom of her poorly lit apartment, Mr. Burns had a clear view of her entire bedroom.

Flash stood completely stationary in the center of the room, his eyes reminding her of a deer caught in the headlights. She willed him to remain still, noticing something that made the situation less grim than she had thought.

"Where are your glasses, Mr. Burns?" The 60-something landlord was indeed doing his best to squint in the direction of her room, but was having enough trouble just focusing on her face.

"Didn't have time to get 'em on, did I? With you hollerin' the way you was. I'll have you know that decent people 're tryin' to get shut-eye at this hour an' I won't have you causin' commotion. I know yer a good girl so I'll let it slide this time, but if other tenants start complainin'…" he trailed off suggestively.

Evey's eyes swam with absurd tears. Why in the lord's name was she crying? Her day must have been more stressful than she'd thought.

"Of course, Mr. Burns. It won't happen again." The man nodded, before turning back the way he'd come, pulling a blue robe closer around his frail shoulders. It was with profound relief and embarrassment that she shut the door.

Flash let out his breath in a low whoosh.

"Phew… Are you – huh? Why are you crying?"

"I have no idea…" She and the Flash looked at each other again, baffled, before simultaneously bursting into laughter. Strangely enough, Flash was first to stop.

"Got any lemonade?"

"_Pardon_?"

* * *

A/N - Well, I'm off to basic training in about a week, so if updates don't start up again for (another) five months give or take, at least I gave you guys a friendly heads-up. Assuming, of course, that there are still readers out there that have not completely lost faith in me. Who knows, I may post again before I leave!


	4. The Intermission

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the DC Comic book universe or its characters.

Well, due to a stress fracture in my femur, I was allowed to come home for a short time and recuperate. Hence you lucky duckies get a chapter much earlier than originally planned! Yay for Flashy goodness!

Thank you so much to everyone and anyone who took the time to review. A lot of people have mentioned the sad lack of good Flash fanfics out there, and since that is the reason I began writing this one, I'm deeply honored that you think mine is worth reading. On with the show!

* * *

**The Intermission:**

Evelyn was more than a little embarrassed at the bare state of her kitchen cupboards, especially when the Flash let out a low whistle.

"Now that is just plain depressing…"

Several of the cabinet knobs had fallen off and the old, blue-gray wood was in sore need of a new paint job. Pretty much the whole flat was in need of a new paint job. She didn't deny that most of her furniture could stand replacing as well.

She looked up at her dingy ceiling and winced, wondering why she had not noticed these things before company in the form of a handsome superhero had come over. Not that she had money to worry about such things anyway, but just thinking about the luxuries he probably enjoyed in the Justice League made her feel very small.

Flash turned to find Evey blocking his path to the refrigerator, eyes turned upward and swimming in tears.

His heart melted.

It was like looking at a sad little puppy. In fact, he barely restrained himself from giving her a tight hug, realizing just in time that it would probably do more good for him than the reserved girl whose life he had saved. Showing affection physically was something that just came naturally to him, and before he'd met this girl, he had thought people with her aloof bearing were all snobs or weird recluse-types like Batman. Thinking back to a moment ago when they had laughed together made him wonder if she was as shy as she first seemed. Grinning, he found the thought both encouraging and intriguing.

"Aaaw… don't cry, sweetie! Big brother Flash is gonna fix it!" Striking a heroic pose – feet shoulder-width apart; hands on hips – he disappeared, leaving Evey utterly bewildered, but no longer sad at least.

While he was gone, she made her way back into the bedroom and changed from her still sopping-wet interview outfit, into a plain nightdress that matched the faded yellow of her bed covers. Her face slowly stretched into a smile. Big brother Flash… An unfamiliar feeling of security settled over her and she prayed he remembered that his secret identity was still unprotected.

The warm bubble burst, however when he popped up beside her a split second later.

"And not a moment too soon!" He crowed, misinterpreting her retreating fear for dizzy hunger.

His crimson-clad arms were loaded with groceries, she noted warily. There was enough food there to keep her fed for a month and STILL have left-overs for Ceres. Before she could do more than gape at the contents of the brown paper bags – "What kind of superhero would I be if I wasn't earth-friendly?" – he had already shelved, stacked, and stored it all away.

He resumed his earlier stance, staring at her stove top as intensely as if Gorilla Grodd was standing in its place. There was a moment of silence in which Evey cautiously crept forward to peer around his arm at the appliance.

"What are you going to do now?"

After a pause, she tilted her head back and tried to meet his gaze. When he finally grinned down at her, his eyes were sheepish.

"I was kinda hoping you'd step in at this point."

"Me? But I can't cook." His shoulders slumped.

"You can't? Why didn't you say something earlier?"

"You didn't ask…" Flash thought miserably about the fresh chicken breast defrosting in the refrigerator, the beautiful round potatoes waiting to be mashed in the cupboard, and all the ingredients for Grammy's famous gravy that he had painstakingly combed the grocery store five times at lightening speed for.

Evelyn felt equally, if not more, upset. Her mother hadn't exactly spent enough time with her to teach her things like cooking and cleaning. Who knew how much money he had already spent to feed her useless self? Not to mention the impossible debt she already owed him for saving her life. Looking at his disappointed angel-face, Evey felt determination boil in her stomach.

"Wait. I do know how to make one thing," Flash met her gaze, completely oblivious to the mental struggle his host had just gone through, only aware that he must not chuckle at the cutely fierce look on her timid features.

"Are there any eggs?"

Once she had located the two giant cartons of eggs, put one back in the refrigerator, and beat the other in her largest mixing bowl, Evey pulled out a rarely used, cast-iron skillet. Spotting a can of biscuit dough on a shelf in the pantry, she figured they would probably fill up her guest if the omelets didn't. As she proceeded to melt butter, Flash watched her movements with a smirk. Allowing a short pause for her to become fully absorbed in her task, he sighed happily and theatrically. Flirting was his favorite pastime after all.

"Ahhh… Nothing like the sound of a sizzling pan." She turned around to smile in reply, but choked instead when she suddenly found him hovering over her shoulder. "A sizzling pan in the hand of a sizzlin' hot lady is even better…"

It was an absurd line. Even she, relationship-challenged as she was, knew that.

Yet, his close proximity had her pulse racing, and she was having trouble formulating any kind of response. The whole time she was doing her best to stop staring at his freckles. The inane desire to count them kept springing up.

"Whoa, be careful!" The grease from their food was popping, alerting her that she had swayed dangerously close to the old-fashioned, open-flame stove. She decided that a distraction was in order if she was to maintain her health around him.

"Uh… While I'm doing this, feel free to make yourself at home." Not likely, she was sure, but in an instant, he had disappeared and then reappeared with a chair from another room.

He spun it so that he was sitting backwards with his arms crossed over the top. The Flash rested his strong chin on his hands as he watched the petite girl move back and forth, gathering ingredients for their meal.

Her spine was very straight under the simple nightgown she wore, and he saw clearly now, that her chestnut hair was just long enough to reach the small of her back. It was still wet though, and her occasional shivering concerned him. Why hadn't he noticed it when he was right next to her?

Soon, however, the temperature had warmed to the point that he was sure she would be all right. The shabby kitchen was starting to feel very cozy and the grumbles in his stomach were now distinctly audible. He decided to get as far away from the mouthwatering smell of cheese and baking bread as he could.

The crimson hero wandered back into the living room, noticing for the first time just how bare it was. There was the lack of furnishings of course, but what was truly sad was the lack of personality and history. There were no portraits or pictures hanging on the walls, no souvenirs or memorabilia of any kind…There was nothing that showed whether or not she lived for any reason other than her psychotic cat.

Suddenly finding his blank surroundings oppressive, Flash streaked back toward the warm and comparatively welcoming kitchen.

Wanting to diffuse his earlier feeling of discomfort, he sidled up near the girl and beamed.

"Don'tcha have any embarrassing baby pictures stashed around here somewhere?"

"Nuh-uh. The omelets are ready, though."

She pulled out some ivy-patterned plates and once the fried food was sufficiently simmered, she piled one on her plate; four on his. The freshly baked biscuits soon accompanied them.

"Watch what a good helper I am." He poured milk into matching, ivy-patterned cups and brought them to the living room coffee-table for her, since her tiny flat contained no real dining area.

His expression was so reminiscent of a proud five-year-old handing his mother a bouquet of wilted daisies that she surprised herself by giggling.

It had to be one of his powers.

He had some kind of calming and brightening effect on people. Though why she was especially susceptible was a mystery… Suddenly, she realized what she was in for.

At least fifteen minutes of quiet, in which all she had was her meal to occupy her. There would be no running away from this discussion over his secret identity. She only hoped that he would maintain the friendly charade for a little while longer.

* * *

**A/n** – Sorry all. I know this chapter seemed to be dragging on, but I needed a sufficient amount of bonding to occur between them to make future chapters plausible. You guys don't expect Wally to stick around for said bonding-time after he broaches the awkward topic of his double life, do yah?

Review? Please? Feel free to point out any typos or mistakes. I'm very tired and I could've easily missed some… Thank you!


	5. The Discussion

This chapter is the last that I've revised. A new one should be up either tonight or tomorrow. Thank you!

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**The Discussion****:**

"Evey, I gotta say. This is probably the best omelet I've ever had." Evey responded with a noncommittal hum, her own meal largely untouched and slowly being pulverized by her wandering fork. "No really! Grammy Flash couldn't've done it any better…"

The girl gave a poorly concealed wince at his attempts to make small talk. The unresolved issue of his secret identity hung over their heads like a stubborn rain cloud, dampening the previously cozy atmosphere and effectively making all conversation awkward.

The Flash found himself staring at the aimless trail of her eating utensil, wishing she would make this easier. At the same time he reasoned that if he was out of his depth, then this sheltered girl had no hope whatsoever of lightening the mood. Turning his attention to his own food, he took a generous mouthful and chewed.

He decided it was safer to focus on eating. He was good at that. It also helped that he hadn't been lying about her cooking. The steaming omelets on his plate were plump with bacon, peppers, sharp cheddar cheese, and had been browned to perfection on either side. They were rich enough that he knew he would at least make it back home without running out of fuel, so to speak.

All too soon - 'Entirely all too soon,' she thought, amazed that the scarlet speedster had scarfed down all four of his rather large omelets and his whole helping of biscuits in the time it had taken her to eat half of her smaller one. - his empty glass and clean plate left him sadly unoccupied, despite his best efforts to eat slowly. He resorted to watching her take excruciatingly dainty bites of her dinner.

He grinned suddenly.

"I just realized something… This is the first time a girl's made me dinner. Well, y'know… aside from my mom. And Grammy Flash, of course. I'm so touched…" he placed his hands over his heart and gave her a silly, love-struck grin. He was rewarded with a shy one of her own, though she also went very red and didn't seem to know how to respond.

It wasn't a lie by any means. The sensitive side of Wally West - the side that teared up a little every time he watched "Old Yeller" - truly was touched. He lounged back in his chair, allowing his thoughts to run in circles.

"This sucks."

The brusque statement was made softly enough that she wasn't entirely sure he had meant for her to hear, but she glanced up anyway, a speared bit of cheesy egg dropping off her fork.

"Huh?" she asked lamely. "What sucks?"

"This does. There I was, all ready to be your knight in shining armor and instead I not only get you dropped in a lake, in trouble with your landlord, and a kitchen full of food that you won't even be able to eat, but I got myself mauled by your crazy cat - who, with my luck, probably needs expensive psychotherapy now - and to top it all off, I got you sucked into the most dangerous part of my life."

Evelyn tried vainly to comprehend the long string of gibberish that had just come out of his mouth, her brow furrowed in the attempt.

"My cat is not crazy." As if in agreement, Ceres mewed indignantly at the crimson intruder. Flash grinned a wobbly grin that made Evey remember to take another bite of her cooling food. Her eyes dropped before she saw him lean back once more and pass a frustrated hand over his face. Frustration at himself, of course, not her.

"I guess she's not. What I'm really trying to say is…" He fixed his emerald gaze on her so piercingly that she felt it burning into the top of her head. He waited until she looked up again and she was hopelessly pinned beneath the weight of his stare.

"Your life is probably about to get very hard. Maybe I'm wrong and we'll never see each other again after this, but I've already stayed longer than it's smart to. There's no way to tell which evil, genetically-mutated, super baddie is watching me right now. For all we know, they might've followed me all the way here from the battle… I don't think any of the League has ever **not **gone back to the Watchtower after a mission, so anything could happen…"

Evey's eyes darted frantically to the windows and doors, as if she might suddenly find that fire-haired demoness staring in at them. What on earth had she gotten into?

Unable to help noticing her blatant distress, Wally reached over and placed his hand comfortingly over her pale, thin fingers. He almost winced at how cold they were; as if the blood had drained out of them in her fear. Struggling to make her meet his gaze again, he continued his speech more softly, as if soothing a skittish animal.

"Obviously you can't tell anyone I was here and that I took you all the way home from that fight. I know you wouldn't gossip with your friends about stuff like that, but you have to promise me, for both our sakes, you won't tell anyone. Not even your mom or dad." A pained look crossed the girl's face and he wondered if she thought he didn't trust her.

"It's not that I think you'll blab, but let's face it, Batman'll have my red spandex-ed hide if he finds out about this." Ceres twined herself around Evey's feet and the warmth of that familiar movement, more than anything, seemed to bring the terrified girl back to herself.

She didn't smile. Instead, her expression settled into one of confusion.

"I wouldn't tell anybody even if I thought someone would believe me. Now that I think about it, though, aren't we kind of jumping to conclusions?" It was the Flash's turn to frown, and she hastened her explanation so he wouldn't think she was trying to wriggle out of a promise. "I mean, yes, I've seen your face. I would probably be able to pick you out of a crowd if we ever walked past each other on the street, but what are the odds of that happening?"

Hopefully very slim because she doubted that she would ever have trouble recognizing his face, which was easily the most uniquely attractive one she'd seen in her life. Movie stars included.

"I don't know your name or even were you live, though I'm pretty sure it's not in downtown D.C. Even if the uh…morally ambiguous DID manage to track you to me, it's not like they would be able to find out anything…"

"I understand that, but you should know that a million other things could happen," he interrupted gently, the serious conversation pulling him further and further out of his famous alter ego's boisterously naïve persona. Real-life issues were always more difficult for him to resolve than those he faced as a hero with other super-powered allies to back him up. Not that he was stupid, but it was so much easier to be the irresponsible young-blood who could be excused if he made the wrong decisions.

"You could be kidnapped and held for ransom, you could be tortured and questioned for my location, you could even be killed by someone who really, REALLY doesn't like me…" He knew he was scaring her unnecessarily. Being tactful wasn't exactly his strong suit and he knew this. Still, the thought that anyone, especially this sweet girl, could be hurt because of him made his heart ache. He just wanted her to stay on the alert.

"What can I do to stay safe then?" her voice was a hopeless kind of deadpan that made him want to snap his mouth shut and stop saying these horrible things to her. One look at those big brown doe's eyes and he knew he never wanted her to be scared of anything again.

"It probably won't ever come to any of that, but there are some simple precautions you can take that will at least buy time before someone comes to help you," he ticked off his fingers, smiling gently at her in the hopes that she would calm down. "Stay inside at night, obviously. Most bad guys, even the super ones, won't kidnap anyone in broad daylight. Some do, but in that case, it's usually to make sure they're seen doing it. If that happens, don't panic 'cause help should already be on its way…" he grinned, taking the sting out of a frightening possibility and was encouraged when Evey began to bravely lift her fork again.

'Good girl,' he thought, watching her eat the no doubt, cold omelet, as she listened to him detail the correct way to dial 911.

Evey couldn't help but feel a definite sense of anti-climax. She had expected some sort of punishment or repercussion. At the very least he might have had her memory erased or asked her to swear a blood oath to keep his secret. Not that she could have taken one with a clear spiritual conscience… but still.

For some reason, it warmed her heart that he was only concerned for her safety at this point. She impulsively made the decision - then and there - to never, ever betray his trust, should she live to be a thousand years old. Even if she was threatened with torture and death.

After about an hour had passed, Flash figured it was time to get out of there. Seeing him get to his feet at the end of a lecture on how to avoid unwanted attention from males - a subject on which he was very fluent - Evey felt a wave of panic hit her.

She had no desire to appear clingy and weak, but she trembled at the thought of him leaving her where anyone might break in and commit the ungodly deeds he had warned her of. The frightening scenarios he had described seemed tolerable in her brightly lit kitchen with the angelic man sitting across from her as an unwitting shield against her fears.

'Stop that,' she scolded herself. 'He has millions - no - more likely, BILLIONS of people depending on him and there's no reason he should be concerned for one grown-up woman who's suddenly become afraid of the dark…'

"Thanks for dinner, Evey. I'll have to remember that recipe so I can make myself omelets just like yours. 'Course, I could conveniently forget so I'd have an excuse to come back and-"

"Thank you for saving me."

The teasing glint in his jade eyes flickered and warmed into something more meaningful. Something that made her insides ache with the knowledge that this would be the last she ever saw of the scarlet speedster…

"Any time." To her great surprise, she suddenly felt his warm, muscular arms close around her in a firm embrace. Inhaling with shock, she made a Herculean effort to memorize everything from his masculine scent, to the way he towered over her. She could see and feel nothing but him.

'It's just a hug,' the Flash would have reminded himself if he hadn't been momentarily distracted by the way her back dipped inward at the waist, forming a natural and very feminine resting place for his hands as he held her. The newly dried chestnut hair that brushed lightly against his chin was so silky and soft that Wally briefly fantasized about running his fingers through it to see if they would pass through smoothly or not.

The moment was over much too quickly. As swiftly as it had happened, he released her and Evey was left wondering if she had made any impression on the vigilante at all.

Said vigilante wondered almost the exact same thing.

"Take good care of yourself, Evey…" she found that she could not speak. Schooling her face into a smile that she hoped looked more grateful than wistful, Evelyn watched Flash open the front door and stride into the deserted hallway outside her apartment. He hesitated for an instant, as if waiting for her to give him her own farewell, before he simply vanished, stirring the air violently as he sped off, lifting her dark tresses and the loose nightdress she wore.

It was several minutes before she finally whispered, "I will," and shut her door.

* * *

Author's notes: I was thinking about leaving this story as is. A friendly encounter with an average girl, but with a slightly romantic undertone. Fortunately (or unfortunately for some, I suppose), I adore Evey far too much to do her like that.

As always reviews are very much appreciated as are any corrections and/or criticisms.

Until next time!


	6. The Attachment

**Author's Notes**: This was chapter from HELL to write, I tell you! HELL! Partly because my stubborn muse kept grumbling that the last chapter was wrapped up so nicely that she refused to cooperate in continuing this fic.

I ask myself the same question that you all are most likely wondering... What the hell happened? My offhand remark of posting this chapter "... today or tomorrow," turned into a wait of almost six months! The military is a harsh mistress, my friends, but this is an excuse, I know.

I can only apologize most humbly and promise that I will NOT make such statements in the future without having the certainty to back them up. This is most likely why I will never make a career out of writing...

I made this chapter slightly longer than my usual fare as a peace offering... and a thank you to everyone who was kind enough to leave a review. Though I don't reply to every single one, I do read and enjoy them all... and they really do inspire me to write! (Even if its only one sentence at a time...) but in any case, I believe this chapter is over-due.

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**The Attachment:**

The weather had turned cold in D.C.

While residents of the nation's capitol usually enjoyed mild winters with light snow, Evelyn found herself shivering despite wearing all her warmest articles of clothing. She pulled the lapels of her thick beige overcoat closer to her neck, but didn't rise from her seat on the freezing concrete bench outside the Smithsonian Zoo.

The scents of old newspaper and cheap, permanent marker threatened to overpower her even as she drew a sharp slash through yet another ad in the job listings of the Washington Post. A weary sigh took on the form of cloudy vapor before her eyes. It seemed as if she had applied for everything from waiting tables to stocking supplies after-hours, and still she came home, exhausted and discouraged every night.

She had awoken the morning after meeting the Flash with a renewed sense of purpose. With him as her inspiration, she had printed several copies of her resume at the public library and spent the rest of the day filling out applications.

'This really isn't the day and age for someone to not have internet access,' she decided, after waiting in line to get her thirty minutes of allotted computer time.

Over the next three weeks, she had been called in for various interviews and her newly found confidence had withered back to normal levels. Stuttering her way through one interview, and drawing a complete blank in the middle of the next (Why anyone would need the merits of a pencil explained to them was still unhappily beyond her), Evelyn was now praying for any job that paid even six-hundred a month.

Meticulously, she folded the periodical along its well-worn creases and stuffed it into the somewhat ugly, orange corduroy messenger bag at her side. She worried about the scant savings left in her bank account. If she was careful and only spent money on bills, she might be able to get by on rent this month, but as for the next...

Luckily, the groceries that had filled her cupboards over the past few weeks were only now running out. Her neighbors had been kind enough to offer different recipes to help her in the kitchen, and she now spent whatever time she had between interviews experimenting with food. She found that she actually enjoyed cooking, once she got over the initial fear of setting something on fire; yet another thing she wished she could thank the scarlet speedster for.

Recalling that she had recently applied for food stamps, Evelyn decided it was probably a good idea to buy some bread, water, and cat food on the way back home.

She set off on foot for the grocery store nearest to her apartment – a good ten blocks from the zoo – and absentmindedly reached into her bag for her wallet to make sure she had her EBT card with her. Taking her eyes off of the path in front of her turned out to be a mistake. She let out a squawk of surprise as a rather large body collided with hers, elbow catching her in the process, somehow.

Her breath came in a painful wheeze, but the only thing that concerned her was that the small, plastic rectangle she'd been holding was no longer in her hand.

"'Scuse me miss, but I think you dropped this?" Feeling her face grow hot, she meekly accepted the proffered card while trying her best to avoid the man's stare.

How embarrassing! Now this complete stranger knew she was barely out of her teen years and already living on food stamps. 'Hopefully he didn't look too closely...' Cautiously raising her eyes to thank him properly before making a quick run for it, Evelyn felt her whole jaw go unattractively slack.

"FLA-!"

"FLAVORED ICE?" Effectively shocking her into silence with his random shout, the Flash's civilian counterpart had an expression on his face that reminded her strongly of a mischievous boy... A little too pleased by his own cleverness.

"More commonly referred to as ice cream? Sorry babe, but don't you think it's the wrong kind of weather for that? You wanna get some coffee instead?" he continued in a more normal tone of voice, watching her face carefully for signs of recognition.

She recognized him all right, though his attire made him blend into the crowd nicely. He was dressed casually in dark blue jeans and a thick, clover-colored sweater. Over this, he wore a black leather coat with soft inner lining for extra warmth. In other words, he still looked like a model, but at least the bulk of his clothing concealed the superhero physique underneath.

Choosing to believe that her expression of blank shock was a positive sign, he took her nerveless hand and wrapped it comfortably in the crook of his arm. This had the pleasant effect of drawing her warm body close to his as he gallantly lead her down main street.

Once they had made it a few feet, he leaned down to whisper cheerfully.

"Toldja I'd be around! Well, maybe I didn't say it in so many words but - " His face fell at the girl's continued lack of response. "Evey? Aren't you glad to see me?"

How could she even begin to answer, without sounding like a hero-worshipping loon? 'I'm ecstatic to see you and terrified at the same time, which doesn't even make sense considering I've spoken to you for all of two days.' Or she could try: 'I'm not sure if I feel glad or not, but those green eyes of yours have the weirdest way of making me feel safe, drowsy, and sick to my stomach, all at the same time.'

"The truth?" She finally spoke up. Drawing a breath to steady herself, she chanced a look at his face and felt a strange aching in her chest. She had honestly thought she would never see this man again. This man who had first saved her life, and then inspired her to change it for the better, without even trying. Maybe that was why she felt such a connection with him, despite knowing him only for such a short time.

"I don't think I've ever been more happy to see anyone, period..."

Flash felt stupid for being so pleased by her simple admission. He was a superhero, wasn't he? He was used to leaving lasting impressions on the people whose lives he saved, on a regular basis. At the same time, though, it was as if he felt good on a different level. Flattered in the way that any normal guy would be if a cute girl were to pursue them.

Although she hadn't exactly been the one to jog halfway across the country to see him, so that might not count as pursuing. 'No, definitely not, though a guy can dream...'

He compared the whole episode involving this meek, doe-eyed girl with reading the beginning of a novel in the middle of a busy airport, and accidentally leaving the book behind. Trying to balance his responsibilities as the Flash while wondering whether or not she would keep her word, was like trying to think of claiming his baggage when all he wanted to do was find that same novel somewhere and continue reading.

"You know," he began in a deceptively light tone. "You're the only normal person who knows about my secret, Evey."

She flinched slightly as the invisible weight of those ten little words dropped on her shoulders, with all the insinuations and potential hardships they carried. Unconsciously loosening her grip on his arm, she asked the only question that seemed to matter at that moment.

"Is that why you came back?" She regretted asking the moment the words had passed her lips. She imagined them sounding more and more pathetic the longer they hung in the air and wished desperately for the ability to recall them.

"Partly," he admitted finally, not liking the way she seemed to recoil. "I couldn't just forget about it, y'know? So I figured while I'm here checking on you, I could take you out for some coffee. It's the least I can do since you're keeping my secret and all."

She was relieved that he didn't think she was a clingy stalker, at least. At the same time, she couldn't help feeling the tiniest bit disappointed that he had come out of hiding only to ensure that she was still trustworthy. Evey self-consciously fiddled with the strap of her messenger bag.

'Stop that!' she commanded herself when she felt the corners of her mouth dip downward. What had she expected? For the Flash to step out of the shadows and confess that he couldn't sleep for missing the socially-inept woman he'd saved, and wanting nothing more than to confide in her? Funny, she had never before considered herself a conceited person. If anything, she often believed the opposite extreme to be her main flaw.

As the pair strolled leisurely past a flower shop and jewelry boutique, she resolved to enjoy the time she had with him and try to make it enjoyable for him as well. She shouldn't expect anything to come of this visit, nor should she be too depressed come the end of it.

She shouldn't expect him to become attached...

"This is it!" With an exaggerated look of pride, he stopped them at the entrance to a small cafe lounge nestled between shops. The irony was not lost on her, for this was the exact same cafe she had bought tea in, the morning before she met the Flash. He caught sight of her bemused smile and grinned.

"It's cute, right? I thought you might like it." Holding the door ajar, he winked at her flirtatiously. "A beautiful young lady should never have to open her own door."

Her face felt unbearably hot, but she ignored the comment and made her way inside. 'Mostly because I have no idea what to say to that.' He hurried in after her and chuckled a bit at her rosy cheeks, which only served to make them flush a deeper red.

"May I help you, sir?" The cashier was a tall, blond teenager with alluring green eyes highlighted by black liner. Though she didn't appear as if she had mastered the art of make-up application yet, Evey thought she looked very pretty in a young, edgy kind of way. She also thought the girl was watching her red-headed companion in a way that could be construed as more than polite interest.

If he noticed, however, he did a good job of hiding it.

"What're you going to get, Evey?" Fighting the desire to squirm under his quirky green gaze, she squeaked out her order. Good Lord, but it was difficult to think when you had the man's full attention.

"I'll have a tall chai tea. Could you put a shot of vanilla in it for me, please?"

"That'll be an extra seventy-five cents." Was it her imagination or did the cashier's voice sound a bit frosty? Surely she imagined it, for when the girl brought her gaze back to the red-haired man's, she smiled brightly. "And for you, sir?"

"I'll just have a hot chocolate. Caffeine and I don't really get along." A man in a business suit standing in line behind them chortled quietly and attempted to disguise the sound as a dry cough. The Flash didn't seem to care. That, or he simply didn't notice.

Paying the cashier and then guiding Evey over to an unoccupied booth, the Flash removed his jacket. She quickly followed suit and was busily disengaging herself from the confines of her scarf when he spoke.

"First thing's first, my real name's Wally West... And you can go ahead and make fun of it if you want but I promise I've already heard it all."

"Nonsense. Alliteration was always my favorite part of English Literature," she teased, bravely. Brave for her, at least, though she figured why not? She would probably not see him again after this. He rewarded her with a boyish grin.

"I figure talking about my secret in public probably isn't a good idea, but I've never been in a situation like this before so I don't really know what the rules are. You'll have to help me out with that." His concern rang true, even if it was phrased awkwardly to avoid others overhearing his words. Evelyn worried her bottom lip in thought.

"What if we use a code whenever we talk about it?" she wondered aloud. "Like, what if we called your... uh... Alter-ego, Red? Or you could come up with a better name if you think that sounds too corny."

"'Red' sounds better than 'Flava-flav', which was gonna be my suggestion." He watched, almost in amazement, as the grave young woman sitting opposite him collapsed in helpless giggles. She struggled to breathe through her merriment, feeling tears leak from her eyes.

It wasn't that she found the joke hilarious. She was just surprised that she had understood the reference, and that he had said it so matter-of-factly.

"Right," she wiped her eyes and smiled. "And whenever we talk about what it IS you do all day we can call it-"

"Bagging groceries," he supplied, catching on to the game. "As in 'Mr. Red bagged so many groceries today that he almost hurt himself several times...'"

Someone at the next table over cleared her throat noisily. Evey was pleasantly surprised when Wally actually flushed a bit. She thought it cute that his freckles almost seemed to disappear into the blush. He grimaced at her. He hadn't meant for it to come out sounding so perverted!

"Maybe 'bagging groceries' isn't the phrase we wanna use. It could sound, y'know, suspicious to anyone who doesn't know what we're talking about."

"You really think so? I wouldn't consider bagging groceries-" she dropped her voice to a whisper. "- heroic – but it IS your secret."

The blond cashier appeared, holding a tray with two decorative and lightly steaming mugs. It was difficult to tell from her point of view, but it looked to Evelyn like the girl might be scowling for some reason.

Wally had the most charming look of bafflement on his face. How anyone could frown at that was beyond her.


	7. The Foundation

**Author's Notes**: The updates from here on out should be a bit more regular since I've mapped out the rest of the story on paper, and have a solid idea where it's going. This last lapse between chapters wasn't too long, right?

… Sorry. Don't answer that... Anyhoo, those of you who are still with me by the end of this chapter, please feel free to drop me a review. I love hearing what you guys think!

Speaking of which, several of you have mentioned a desire to see more of the JLA in future chapters. Worry not! I don't want to spoil anything, but there is a reason why this story is not written in first-person narrative. (Apart from my being rubbish at it.) The fun of putting Wally in a relationship with a normal girl is partly to see how he will balance it in with the rest of his life, of course! Enjoy!

* * *

**The Foundation:**

Immediately, the desire to ask a multitude of questions sprang to the forefront of her mind. She burned with curiosity, and mentally fumbled for a coherent thought to form.

"How did you get here?"

"Walked, well... more like, jogged," The Flash's dual persona answered easily.

"Walked?" She quickly lowered her voice, though her pitch rose to a squeak. "From Central City?"

"Is it that surprising? I _am_... uh... me."

"I always thought you just ran really fast. I guess I never considered how MUCH you must run."

"Well, yeah. Why do you think I've gotta eat so much to keep my energy up?" Not sure if the question was rhetorical or not, Evey blew on her chai tea. It was still just a bit too hot to drink. Another thought occurred to her.

"Is it all right for you to be here? I mean, with your... uh, line of work, won't you be... missed?"

"Nah. Or at least, no more than I would be on any other day I take off," he answered, haltingly. "Not that I take many days off to begin with. The job is more like... I try to help out when I can, but I can't do much if I'm too tired or stressed-" he cut himself off, trying and failing to express himself freely.

She understood his frustration. Having a conversation like this was difficult enough, but in public it was near-impossible. She studied him for a moment, watching as he seemed to give up and stir some whipped cream into his cocoa. Perhaps she should back off for a bit and let him collect himself?

Evey tore her gaze away from the man sitting across from her long enough to take a sip of her chai. As always, the spicy, sweet flavor made her relax and sigh in pleasure.

"That stuff any good?"

"It's wonderful! Here, try some." She offered him the steaming mug, handle side out, and wondered why the gesture felt so intimate. She had shared drinks before, of course... with other girls.

Even so, it wasn't as if it was a big deal. People sampled each other's drinks in restaurants all the time, for goodness sake! Often they were couples, but still... Despite her thoughts, she gulped instinctively when his adam's apple throbbed in response to the liquid going down his throat. He gave a thoughtful hum after handing her beverage back over, considering the taste as if it were a vitally important case that needing solving.

He completely missed how red her face had gone. She stared gratefully down at her hands until the burning heat ebbed and faded.

"Not bad, but a little girly for my palate. I think I'll stick with hot chocolate..." She laughed lightly at the satisfied look on his face.

"Is hot chocolate really more masculine than chai tea?" She asked, pointedly eying the swirl of whipped cream decorating the top of his cup. Wally's look changed to one of wounded pride and he lowered his voice.

"It's not like I can order much else in these kinds of places. Caffeine is a dangerous thing for me..." Smirking a bit, he watched her eyes widen to almost comic proportions. They were very nice eyes. Brown, but a very light brown, almost copper in hue. She leaned in closer, without appearing to think about it.

"Is that, you know, one of your weaknesses?" He chuckled lightly in response, though the question did provoke a twinge of discomfort. Before he could respond, the girl hurriedly continued, as if detecting the uneasy expression somewhere on his face. "I guess you can't really share something like that with anyone... I wasn't trying to pry. I was just-"

Why was it that she always seemed to be on the verge of tears around this man?

"Trying to make conversation?" Wally finished, smiling as gently as he knew how. "I know... and I appreciate it, Evey. How 'bout we just stick to talking about you for today, huh?"

"Sounds good." He was so _nice_! She grinned, apologetically, and the urge to cry fled as quickly as it had come. Though she still had countless questions flitting through her mind, she resisted the impulse to ask any more of the scarlet speedster. The last thing she wanted was to cross that invisible line between friendly and trustworthy into plain intrusive.

"How's that crazy cat of yours doing? What was her name, again? Sarah?" He raised his mug to his lips and drank deeply. When the ceramic clinked against the table a few scant seconds later, Evey saw it was completely drained.

"Ceres is fine. Although she's been jumping at shadows a lot lately, and waking me up in the middle of the night. It was pretty scary the first few times since I was still thinking about all the things you told me," she scowled at him mock-seriously. "Now it's getting annoying."

"Well, _sorry_! I WAS trying to save your life at the time," the hero pouted, playing with a sugar dispenser. "It's not my fault your cat was easily traumatized."

Evelyn raised her hands in a placating gesture, laughing a bit.

"I'm not blaming anyone... Although the lack of sleep has been getting to me," she sobered a bit, thinking about her dire financial situation. "It doesn't look very good when you go in for an interview yawning, with big circles under your eyes."

"Interview? Are you looking for a job?"

"Yeah... For about a month now," she heaved a sigh, unable to keep her distress from showing. "It was fine at the beginning, but now I'm starting to worry about rent and bills..."

"Have you called back to follow up on any of your interviews?" The blunt question threw her off and she blanched.

"I... I thought about it, but then I figured since its only been a few weeks... I didn't want to look desperate or be a bother to anyone..."

"Eeevey," he stretched out her name, halting her fretful speech. "You've gotta be confident in a situation like this and let them KNOW you want the job. Trust me, in this economy, no one's gonna think your desperate for showing a little enthusiasm."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I've worked in the Central City PD for about four years now, and I've probably seen about a hundred applicants just like you. The ones who always get hired are the ones who go the extra mile and keep themselves fresh on the interviewer's brain."

"Excuse me," The scowling blonde cashier appeared at their booth with a tray, motioning that she wanted to clear the table-top.

"Not trying to rush you guys or anything," she began, in a tone that conveyed the extreme opposite of what she said. "But we're closing in a few minutes."

Evey frowned. She really had to stop coming here... she had never noticed it before, but the service was terrible. She and Wally shrugged into their warm coats and made their way outside into the cold, evening air. The temperature had dropped considerably and her frown deepened when she recalled she still had yet to make it to a grocery store.

Wally hadn't realized they'd chatted so long. He really needed to make it back to the city if he was going to have time to shower and eat before taking a night shift at the Watchtower. He glanced down at his companion, noting the way she worried her bottom lip while thinking. Where had the time gone?

He had enjoyed the day immensely and was sad to think he had to leave so soon. Had Evey enjoyed his company as well? More importantly, did she want to do this again? What was the best way to ask without scaring her off? Stalling, he cleared his throat.

"So, yeah... You should definitely call those places back. Go the extra mile and all that..."

She had to crane her neck upward to look at him – Goodness, but he was tall – and tried to make out his facial expression. 'He looks so uncomfortable,' she thought, depressed that he hadn't liked spending time with her, after all.

"Okay. I'll do that, then." She paused. "Thanks for the advice."

Evey was struck with a sudden sense of deja vu and realized that this was goodbye all over again. She would go back to her lonely life; playing with her cat, cooking, chatting with elderly neighbors... That wasn't what she wanted! Panic clouded her mind and she blurted her thoughts aloud before she could stop herself.

"Will I get to see you again?" She wanted to clap her hands over her mouth at how pathetic she sounded. 'Lord have mercy on His selfish children.'

"Sure..." At first she didn't think she had heard him correctly, but after a pregnant pause, he continued. "Maybe I'll swing by your apartment next time? I'll even call you in advance so your cat doesn't have a heart attack."

"I – I'd like that, but I don't have a phone. It's an extra expense so I never bothered..."

"You don't have a phone? You poor thing!" They probably looked very odd to passersby that night, him hugging her head to his chest and patting her hair in what he thought was a soothing way. He relaxed his hold on her quickly when she mumbled into his coat that she couldn't breathe. "How were you gonna call them without a phone, Evey?"

"My landlord sometimes lets me borrow his for emergencies," she shrugged somewhat sheepishly. "I try to use email for everything else."

Still within the circle of his arms, she felt warm and suddenly very sleepy. Perhaps she should just go to the store tomorrow?

Wally discreetly rearranged his arms so that she was cozier nestled against him, and began to steer her feet in the direction he knew her apartment to be in. He reasoned that he could walk her home, at the very least.

By the time they reached her building, he had nearly convinced himself of his purely altruistic motives in bringing her all the way there. Sure, he had kept an arm around her throughout their trek, but it was just to keep the poor girl from freezing to death!

"Thanks again." He jumped slightly. They had both kept companionably silent during most of the journey. Indeed, it hadn't even occurred to him to make conversation.

"No problem, Evey. Take care of yourself, okay?" She bit her lip. Though his goodbye had elicited a bittersweet feeling of hope and regret last time he had said these exact words, now she felt something completely different. Something she couldn't put a name to.

"I will." The Flash – 'Wally,' her mind supplied. – withdrew from her side, finally reclaiming his limbs. She blushed, realizing that he'd held her the whole way. "Get home safe, Wally."

He grinned at her use of his name.

"Don't worry about me... I bag groceries for a living." She giggled, before remembering something. 'If you can't trust a superhero, who can you trust?'

"I keep a key under the welcome mat, so next time you want to drop by for a visit, make yourself at home."

For an instant before the door to the building swung shut behind her, she saw his face in the dim moonlight. Most likely it was her tired eyes playing tricks on her, but for a moment, he looked as if he had blushed bright red.

"Weird..."


	8. The Daze

**Author's Notes:** To quote a very smart woman, it seems like whenever I try to make a plan with this story, life responds with a resounding "lolno." School and military aside, I have somehow managed to get myself involved in not one... not two... but four different side projects.

I'm currently trying my hand at writing a novel, crafting the concept for a new dating sim/otome game, writing the storyline for my husband's 2D side-scrolling adventure game, "Occultus Command," and of course, my lovely fanfics. So yeah...

Excuses, excuses… You guys have waited long enough. On with the show!

* * *

**The Daze:**

"So who is she and does she know you're in love with her?" Shayera finally asked, point-blank, much to the relief of everyone else in the debriefing room.

"Wuh?!" The Flash's head snapped up so sharply that he nearly succeeded in detaching it from the rest of his body and sending it splattering against the wall behind him. As it was, the sudden, painful motion made him wince and rub at the back of his collar.

"As a friend and colleague, I'm just curious who it is that's been making you grin like an idiot all day," she teased. "The last time I saw you like this was…"

Here, she made a point of dragging her green eyes slowly toward the end of the briefing table where a certain Brazilian bombshell sat making eyes at Booster Gold. Wally felt the back of his neck heat and was extremely grateful for the cowl over his head.

While he and Beatriz had tried dating for a while, they'd quickly learned that they shared nothing in common beyond a mutual physical attraction. He'd been too immature for her; she'd been too shallow and materialistic for him. The breakup had been amicable and no lasting damage had been done, but Shayera still liked to poke fun at him about it. She reasoned that since she'd had such a heavy hand in getting them together, it was her prerogative.

Noticing his cagey look and taking pity on him, Shayera smiled in a sisterly way before thumping him once on the back.

"She and Booster are better suited for each other anyway, don't you think?"

"Sure," he replied, grateful that she was going to do him a favor and drop the discussion.

"You haven't mentioned who your mystery girl is yet…"

"Uh, oh look! It's Batman!"

"Mission de-brief," said the dark knight shortly upon his entrance. He very deliberately placed a stack of files on the conference table before addressing everyone. There was a subtle sarcasm to his no-nonsense voice, and he seemed to raise one eyebrow under the mask. "If I'm not interrupting anything important…"

Wally shot to his seat, effectively ending their conversation under the guise of professionalism. For the next hour, he valiantly struggled to pay attention to Batman as he droned through numbers and figures, eventually pronouncing the mission a success.

He tried, but all he managed to do was chart a more efficient route from Star City to Evey's house in his mind, down to the smallest landmark.

'Take exit four off of 295 south…'

From here, he began to wonder what her reaction would be if she came home from work one day and he was sitting on her couch waiting for her, after having let himself in with the spare key. Would she be glad to see him?

A sharp smack to the back of his head interrupted his daydreams.

"Ow!"

"We're done for the day, Flash."

"Oh. Right," he looked around awkwardly, noting that Fire and Booster Gold had already made themselves scarce. "Wanna grab some lunch then? My treat."

Shayera rolled her eyes. She was just about to respond, when Batman suddenly broke in.

"Flash will meet you in the cafeteria, _after_ I've had a word with him." Shayera blinked, looking from Batman's unreadable mask to Wally's.

The scarlet speedster tried desperately to plead with his feathered friend not to leave him, using his best set of puppy-dog eyes. He might as well have blown a raspberry at her for all the good they did him, however, as Hawkgirl simply shrugged and bowed out of the briefing chamber. The sound of the automatic door whooshing closed behind her was as final as the sound of a coffin slamming shut to his ears.

"Wally." That surprised him enough that his head quickly swiveled around in the caped crusader's direction. Batman almost _never_ addressed other heroes by their first names. Only when he was about to discuss something important and deeply personal did he dispense with code names, and even then, only with those he trusted unconditionally.

He knew what this was going to be about.

It had been nearly two weeks since he'd last seen Evey and so far no one had said anything. The hope that he'd been slick enough to fly under the radar had blind-sided him, but in retrospect, he should have known better than to think anything got past the dark knight.

This gentle line of inquiry was surprising to him, however. If anything, he'd expected a lecture on ethics, and maybe a subtle accusation that he was taking advantage of a civilian's gratitude.

"You know what I'm going to say, don't you?"

"Uh, don't daydream during de-briefs?" And in spite of the seriousness of the situation, he couldn't help but think that Evey would be pleased with this round of alliteration.

"Wally, do you know what you're getting into with this girl?" The Flash's broad shoulders slumped a bit.

"I guess I can't really play dumb at this point, huh?"

Instead of a response, Batman simply drew a small, folded manila envelope from a compartment on his utility belt and handed it to him. Flash ripped through the tiny envelope with speed brought on by anxiety and was rewarded when the contents spilled out around his feet. Bending over sheepishly to pick them up, he blanched when he saw what he'd dropped.

They were innocent enough on first glance: just a bunch of typed pages, arranged neatly into bullet-points. It was the picture paper-clipped to them that made his Adam's apple throb nervously.

"You make a nice-looking couple," Batman remarked caustically into the silence. Wally hesitated before touching the wallet-size snapshot of himself and Evey sitting in the café a few weeks earlier.

"Thanks." He had to admit, the girl was surprisingly photogenic. Whoever had taken the picture had managed to get the shot right as Evey had giggled, guarding her open mouth delicately with one hand and cupping the other around her cup of tea. Her brown eyes were lit up with amusement, and her laugh lacked the usual restraint.

She looks happy, Wally thought.

"You're smiling," said the dark knight. At first, Wally thought he meant in the picture, but then he realized abruptly that he'd started smiling just looking at the snapshot in his hands. He felt his face heat up, and for the second time that day, he was grateful for his costume.

He wasn't one who usually got defensive when he was embarrassed, but under the circumstances, he couldn't help but think his dark compatriot was being just a little unfair.

"Look, Bats, I don't know why you think this is such a big deal, but it's not like the rest of you guys don't have the occasional lady friend."

"Be honest with yourself, Wally. Is that all this is?" Batman's tone somehow managed to sound even _drier_. "Because if it is, I may be forced to give you that lecture on ethics I'm sure you don't want to hear."

Not for the first time since meeting his pointy-eared friend, the Flash fought a moment of real panic, wondering if maybe the caped crusader had telepathic abilities that made him just as super as the rest of them. He always seemed to know, not just what you were thinking, but HOW you were thinking it.

Pushing that disturbing thought aside, Wally slowly processed his older friend's stern words.

He certainly didn't want to trifle with the poor girl – Evey seemed too fragile for that – but neither was he content with the idea of never seeing her again. He wasn't sure why, either. She was pretty and sweet, but it was hard to pinpoint exactly how she'd made such a lasting impression on him.

'Well, aside from that kiss…' he thought, remembering the rescue and suppressing a grin.

Carefully shelving that particular memory for another day, Wally decided that being honest with Batman was probably the best course of action at this point. Besides, the Bat never asked a question he didn't already know the answer to.

"I don't… know. I don't know yet. I think she's cute, and… special, but I don't know how the rest of… _this_ is going to work out."

"Well figure it out soon," his gruff fellow leaguer replied shortly. "We don't need you this distracted on the clock when lives are on the line."

The Flash ducked his head, honestly abashed. In his early days with the league, he might have had something hot-headed to say in response, but he'd fought beside these people for too long to mistake their concern for anything other than what it was.

And if he was honest with himself, he felt guilty having to snap himself back to attention so many times while on a mission. He felt the need to ask, "How do the rest of you handle it?"

The dark knight's posture softened, only barely perceptibly.

"Superman would be a better person to ask." His hand twitched, as if he had to restrain himself from putting a hand on his younger friend's shoulder. Wally didn't notice. "The league can't tell you how to handle your personal affairs, Wally, but keep in mind that not every civilian has what it takes to become a permanent fixture in our lives. Before you let someone get that close to you, make sure you understand all the risks."

Having said his piece, Batman turned and strode toward the door, pausing momentarily for it to slide open.

"Oh, and make sure you read those files, particularly the block pertaining to her birthday."

Wally glanced down at the paper in his hands, skimming the stats and numbers until he saw the date March 7th.

'Next week… Her birthday's next week.'

* * *

Evey climbed the stairs to her apartment, for once not thinking about the soreness of her feet. Indeed, she felt jaunty and energized; ready to climb stairs all the way to heaven.

Absently, she ran a reverent hand over the worn corduroy bag at her side and smiled widely. Nestled within were her new work apron and the small bundle of tax forms she had to fill out before returning to her manager the next day.

It had taken some time for the owner of the comic book shop to call her back after the interview, but she'd followed Wally's advice, stopping in one day to talk to the middle-aged man and thank him for his time. The very next afternoon, he had offered her the job.

Happy beyond belief that she would soon have a steady source of income, Evelyn almost missed the crystal clear object that had been placed carefully on her doorstep. Upon bumping it with her foot and looking down, she gasped.

A single budding rose lay upright in a slender vase. Its petals were a creamy yellow with the slightest suggestion of red at the tips, and velvet-soft to the touch.

Thinking wildly that there must be some mistake, Evey scooped the tiny vase up with care, planning to knock on some doors and find who the mystery flower belonged to. To her shock, a small square of white paper floated to the floor at her feet, having worked itself free from where it had been stuck to the condensation of the vase.

Her fingers trembled as she read the words, 'Evey, meet me here on your doorstep at 10:00 next Sunday. Love, Wally.'

* * *

**A/N:** I must say, the response to this fic has been lovely. The reviews have been encouraging and consistently awesome. Thank you so much to everyone who took time to tell me what you thought about the story, and for keeping up the interest. I can only apologize that the wait in-between chapters has been so long. Hopefully you'll all stick around to see what I have in store for our favorite scarlet speedster next.

On an unrelated note, has everyone seen the poll at the top of my author's profile page? Vote now for your favorite JLU pairing!

Also Trivia: Above, when Wally is thinking about a route from Star City to Evey's house, the exit and interstate actually lead to a place in Washington D.C. where Evey would live if she existed in real life! Try looking it up on google maps!


	9. The Promise

**The Promise:**

"It's almost time, Ceres..." The cat gave a soft mew, her grey eyes looking entirely too intelligent for her owner's taste. "How do I look?"

Ceres gave Evey's best outfit an unimpressed sniff, before leaping down from the counter and trotting off in the direction of her food bowl.

Her frown deepening at this rather unflattering assessment, Evey worriedly made her way back into her bedroom where she gave herself yet another critical once-over in the reflective glass of her sliding closet door.

Admittedly, she didn't have much knowledge in the way of makeup and hair, but she'd spent the last few days obsessively pouring over girly magazines during her lunch-breaks at the sandwich shop across the street from her new job. She worried at how outdated the articles were, but reasoned that what looked nice six months ago probably still looked nice now… Hopefully.

In any case, not having access to the myriad of high-tech gadgetry that _Seventeen_ magazine assured her she could not be beautiful without, Evey was forced to work her birthday makeover magic on a budget.

With the help of a very sweet drug store employee, she'd carefully selected a single, brown eyeliner pencil, an eyelash-lengthening mascara, and a slightly rosy shade of lip balm. Her head spun at the dizzying array of other beauty products, but these – the associate assured her – were the most important ones.

"With your skin, you could probably do without concealer and foundation, though when you have money, you should probably come back and grab some bronzer… Your color's kinda pale, hon."

Evey had blushed, thanked her, and sat attentively to watch her demonstrate the finer points of eye makeup application.

She fussed a bit now, barely refraining from smudging the carefully drawn dark lines around her eyes. Her hair was blown dry and shiny, though the final effect was just a tad frizzier than she wished. Her outfit had been painstakingly chosen in accordance with the magazines she'd read, parts of it supplemented by what she'd found buried in her closet.

Shoved in the back behind a very ugly choir-girl dress that she'd worn three years prior, was a slightly dirty blue pea coat of hers from her younger days. One of the buttons had popped off and she had outgrown it slightly, but the extra button was still in her desk somewhere if she recalled correctly, and she _had_ lost some weight from the recent food shortage she'd gone through.

After re-sewing the button herself, she gave it to her landlord's wife for cleaning. The tiny Asian woman had always been fond of her, and she owned the little dry-cleaning place down the street. For a discounted fee, the pea coat came back to her, clean and pressed, looking a much brighter shade of royal blue than she remembered.

Elaina, the girl who worked in the sandwich shop, finally asked one day why she spent so much time reading _Cosmo_ looking like she was about to cry. Startled into telling the truth, Evey stammered out her makeover woes. Shockingly enough, the older girl was immediately sympathetic and offered her help.

"I have this pair of boots that would look really cute on you. You could borrow 'em for the day if you want."

"Ah! I couldn't impose on you like that."

The girl tossed her mane of wild black curls before fixing Evey with a winning smirk. "Us single ladies gotta stick together! Besides, it's not like I don't know where you work… You'll give them right back, won't you?"

When Evey nodded vehemently in response to the suggestion that she would return any items entrusted to her, Elaina took this to mean she agreed, and arranged to bring the boots with her to work the next day so she could try them on.

Realizing that she was in no position to look a gift horse in the mouth, and honestly too intimidated by the much taller girl to clarify her refusal, Evey agreed to come by the next day.

The shoes fit perfectly.

Finding both footwear and a coat was something of a financial miracle. Evey was quickly able to deduce that, if she shopped carefully, she could afford a whole outfit for herself.

This outfit came to include a thrifty, but cute, laced white blouse, short jean skirt, and patterned leggings she'd unexpectedly fallen in love with, and bought on a whim. She admired them in the mirror again, happy that she had been able to adhere to the length of skirt the magazine had told her was most stylish, and still feel covered.

A knock at her door echoed throughout the silent apartment.

Evey's heart leapt to her throat and she stared at her panicked reflection for an instant before reminding herself sharply that she might miss her chance if she didn't move. There had been no way to communicate her acceptance with him, after all. If she didn't answer the door, he would probably just turn around and run home to Central City where she'd never see him again…

_Knock Knock Knock_.

"Coming!" She scrambled the rest of the way to the door, fumbling with the deadbolt a second, stealing a moment to catch her breath. '_This is it…_'

On the threshold stood Wally in all his red-haired glory.

He was dressed nicer than she'd ever seen him. A sleek black blazer covered most of his broad-shouldered form, concealing part of the blue-green, pinstriped dress shirt he wore underneath. Pressed jeans and open buttons at the collar kept the look from seeming too formal.

She actually felt gooseflesh prickle across her arms. In fact, she was so distracted that she didn't notice the similarly shell-shocked expression that came over his face.

"Wow…" he breathed, his eyes widening as they tried to take in as much of her as human anatomy would allow.

She looked so _cute_ in the little blue coat, with her eyes looking much larger and fuller than he remembered seeing them before. It took a conscious effort to drag his eyes up from where the hem of her jean skirt just barely brushed the bottoms of her thighs. A modest length by most people's standards, on her it looked positively _scandalous_.

And the tights… For all the skin they covered, he'd never seen anything so disarmingly sexy. The pattern tracing her legs in thin black fabric was lacy and elegant where it disappeared into her almost-knee-high, grey suede boots. He found himself tracing the outline of her legs with his gaze, quite against his will.

Turning his head to the side with a cough, Wally took a minute to calm the ferocious blush that lit his features. It was Evey's birthday! No need to kick things off by leering at her like a world-class creeper.

"You look – uh… You – Are you ready to go?" he asked lamely, offering a timid smile.

"Yes!" She jumped at being addressed. "Let me just grab my keys, feed Ceres, and we can go."

Placing her keys and money pouch in her coat pockets, Evey quickly scampered to her cat's food bowl, clutching the bag of Fancy Feast so tightly, she was in danger of ripping it in half.

If cats could make human facial expressions, Evey suspected hers would have raised her cat-eyebrows in disgust watching her mistress spill most of the dry food all over the floorboards in her frazzled attempts to get it in the bowl. Her hands were shaking, she realized.

"You done?" Wally felt awkward waiting at the door, and had followed her part of the way inside. He regretted it, however, when the girl have a choked gasp of fright and promptly sent another wave of cat food spilling to join the rest on the floor.

"Uh-huh," she squeaked.

"Should we clean that?" he asked, feeling guilty for scaring the wits out of the poor girl.

"No, it's fine. Ceres will eat it," she answered, feeling excruciatingly silly for over-reacting. Together, they made their way back into the hallway outside the apartment, where Evey dutifully locked her front door before turning to him, an unsure frown settling into place on her pearly-pink lips.

'_We look like a pair of twelve-year-olds about to go on our first date!_' He had to laugh, at least internally, at how dumb he was being. The self-deprecating humor succeeded in chasing away the last of his nervousness, and his mouth stretched into its customary grin.

To Evey's bafflement, the Flash abruptly turned away and bent on one knee, offering his arms out to her in a reverse-bear-hug.

"Hop on!"

"Hop on?" She repeated dumbly. As in, hop on his back?

"Yep, we're going on a trip, and the fastest way is on the Flash Express."

Shyly, she clambered forward, a little worried that her skirt would ride up. Luckily, Wally's waist was just slim enough that she didn't have to spread her legs too far.

'_Wait… Where are his hands—?_' She barely muffled the strangled squeak in time. His hands were clasped in a makeshift seat, flush against her bottom. Just thinking the words in her head made her blush so violently she feared she might have a nosebleed.

Before her mind could wrap around it further, Wally took off in a dead sprint right there in the hallway.

Evey's breath left her in a gasp as she braced herself for Wally to twist an ankle or slip on a stair. Instead, the not-so-scarlet-speedster seemed to run on air, so smooth and unbroken was his stride. Her arms locked in a death-grip around his neck, she cautiously peeked an eye open that she didn't remember closing, and tried to take in the scenery of downtown DC as it flew by. Finding it to be nothing more than a confusing riot of colors and shapes, she gave up and closed them again.

Instead she found herself focusing on the feel of the Flash's running. There was an inhuman grace to it. She'd noticed it before, when he'd saved her at the lake, but she had been too awed at the time to fully appreciate the elegant efficiency of his powers.

Evey had gone very still, he noticed. Her breath was shallow where it panted against his ear, and he tried not to let the feel of it – the moist, innocently sensual feel of it – distract him from the route. DC was pretty far from Central City, after all, and he had too much planned for the day to risk getting lost.

About twenty minutes later, Wally slowed to a jog in a deserted alleyway between two buildings. He could have reached their destination much faster, but hadn't wanted to make the experience uncomfortable for her. Fighting against the crushing velocity of high-speed winds and combing bugs out of one's hair did not make for a fun start to a date.

And his primary objective for the day was to get Evey to have fun.

"Uh, Wally? You don't have any Kleenex on you, do you?" Tears were running down the young woman's face at an alarming rate, and before he even thought about it too hard, he had already shot off and returned with some newly purchased tissues.

"What's wrong, Evey? Did I scare you?"

"No, I think it was just the wind. I don't think I closed my eyes in time," she replied, accepting the tissues and carefully wiping her face. From what she could tell, her waterproof mascara was living up to its name. The Kleenex was coming away mostly white, thank goodness.

She met Wally's gaze only to find that he was frowning, and hastened to reassure him.

"It was my fault! I was trying too hard to see everything as we ran by, and I didn't realize the wind would be so powerful…"

"I probably should've warned you, though."

"I'm fine, really! I don't imagine you take a lot of… uhm... passengers?" Wally was startled into a laugh.

"No, not too many. And most of the ones I do take wear masks, so…" He gave a mock-gallant bow, offering his arm in a gesture of exaggerated gentility. "Shall we?"

Evey accepted shyly, smiling at his antics.

"Where are we going?"

"That depends. You hungry?"

"A little," she admitted somewhat sheepishly. In all the excitement, she'd neglected to eat any breakfast.

"Great! So we'll eat first, and then…" Wally drifted off, gently testing the waters.

"And then…?" she asked, tantalized at the mystery, just as he'd hoped.

"It'll be a surprise."

The gravity of where she was and what was happening finally started to sink in. Her heart began to take up an unsteady, fluttering rhythm in her chest and she felt her toes curl in excitement. With a slight twinge of wonder, she realized she was grinning; truly happy for the first time in months.

Her first date.

* * *

**A/N:** Quick update this time! This chapter practically wrote itself, I've been waiting so long to get to it. For those of you who haven't noticed my updated author's bio, we've officially hit the mid-point in this story. (Yay!) Less than ten chapters left, unless something drastic changes.

Important announcement: The title of this story will be changing with the next update! I've had to do some pretty heavy editing on the plot line that I have so far, and wanted the new title to reflect this. It will be called "**Serendipity**". I'll also likely go back and edit a few of the previous chapters, so I apologize in advance if this spams anyone's inbox. I'm not sure if ff. net sends notifications for chapter edits.

Sorry! Hopefully I'll get the next chapter out as quickly as I did this one!


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